Youth team development: Page 37 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Youth team development

jones

HomeSteak wrote:
Do you guys remember Proof?

Is that your old account? Remember him being Romanian too i think

HomeSteak

jones wrote:
HomeSteak wrote:
Do you guys remember Proof?

Is that your old account? Remember him being Romanian too i think

Nah but it's a funny story. When I was like 14 I signed up to a Romanian football forum, and there was just this one other Arsenal fan, this guy proof. Anyways, we didn't really talk, just a few comments here and there and a stream sent via PM. 1-2 years later I signed up on arsenal-mania, 3 romanians on the whole thing, and of course he is there, he actually got me out of that afoul lobby. Again, did not talk much, few comments, few PM's. Fast forward like 5 years, I'm in college waiting for a class to start and this guy walks in with an Arsenal shirt on, and he looks familiar. I've seen him around, we actually played some pick-up basketball togheter a few times before. We get to talking about Arsenal in every class and all ... and one day I ask him if he is on any social media, forum what ever Arsenal-related. He says that he used to post on arsenal-mania, if I've ever heard of it. Turns out he was proof....

Asterix

I remember some of the old timers too. ExiledinNewcastle - knew a lot but was a bit condescending. Canuck (Trevor) was a great guy.

mentalvortex

Highlights from the weekend.

U23 vs Brighton (5-0 win)

Ricky1985

Azeez and Balogun are damn exciting.

goon

Most of that clip reminded me of when you're playing football in school and the two guys in your team who think they're clearly better than anyone else only pass to each other.

I really hope Edu is doing everything in his power to keep Balogun, I would hate to watch him succeed elsewhere.

Bring Back Kerrea Gilbert

Those two are class. Wonder how close Azeez is to the first team squad.

Clrnc

HomeSteak wrote:
jones wrote:
Is that your old account? Remember him being Romanian too i think

Nah but it's a funny story. When I was like 14 I signed up to a Romanian football forum, and there was just this one other Arsenal fan, this guy proof. Anyways, we didn't really talk, just a few comments here and there and a stream sent via PM. 1-2 years later I signed up on arsenal-mania, 3 romanians on the whole thing, and of course he is there, he actually got me out of that afoul lobby. Again, did not talk much, few comments, few PM's. Fast forward like 5 years, I'm in college waiting for a class to start and this guy walks in with an Arsenal shirt on, and he looks familiar. I've seen him around, we actually played some pick-up basketball togheter a few times before. We get to talking about Arsenal in every class and all ... and one day I ask him if he is on any social media, forum what ever Arsenal-related. He says that he used to post on arsenal-mania, if I've ever heard of it. Turns out he was proof....

Proof! I used to play FIFA with him. Decent guy but with very strong views on Arteta and Arsenal these days. Love Ibrahimovic like nobody else. Nice story 😆

flobaba

Ricky1985 wrote:
Azeez and Balogun are damn exciting.

Yeah just seen that highlight.

Will keep my eye out for Azeez, but Balogun looks like the real deal. He can dribble, finish, looks physically strong and seems to have a calmness about him that Eddie always lacked in crucial moments.

Ricky1985

A bit early to gauge Azeez accurately, I agree, and also agree that Balogun looks like he has all you could want in a 9. It'll be very annoying to lose him, if it happens.

Clrnc

Am I mistaken or you previously didn't rate both Nketiah and Balogun much? I remember a year ago you posted about Balogun's productivity in front of goal but didn't rate him as a special talent.

Ricky1985

I've never watched that much of Balogun, not been able to see much of the youth team or keep track of it over the last year or so.

Nketiah always looked technically average to me, despite his phenomenal goalscoring record.

lorddulaarsenal

Ricky1985 wrote:
A bit early to gauge Azeez accurately, I agree, and also agree that Balogun looks like he has all you could want in a 9. It'll be very annoying to lose him, if it happens.

It’s not too early when you have an eye for prospects like my hood self. He’s the real deal.

TambourineMan

So what is the situation with Balogun at the moment? I thought Red Bull Leipzig agreed a deal with him already? Or do we still have a chance to retain him?

Ricky1985

He hasn't agreed a deal with anyone, but there are 15 clubs chasing him. And according to those that know, his preference is to stay at Arsenal, but he's demanding reassurances over playing time.

TambourineMan

Good stuff. He looks a real talent and we should be bending over backwards to keep him.

Big Willie

Bending over backwards? Come on now.

TambourineMan

Considering Liverpool got £24.5m for Brewster, it is evident that young English attackers sell for a premium in this market.

If Balogun continues to develop as expected, he will at the very least command a fee similar to what Liverpool received for Brewster. Best case he is good enough to start for us. I think the upside justifies us making a big investment in him right now.

mentalvortex

Our reserves drew 1-1 away at Tottenham tonight (who are top of the table in our group).

Ben cottrell was our goalscorer.

Also highly rated Charlie Patino made his reserves debut.
Azeez was missing from the squad for some reason. No appearances yet for January signing Rekik.

Next four games are brutal for our reserves.
Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), Man City (a), Liverpool (a)

Lets see how some of our highly rated youngsters do against qulity opposition.

Claudius

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2021/02/02/arsenals-hale-end-generation-usurped-youngsters/

Good article on the youth. Some highlights.

A lifeline for Arsenal though is the quality of their youngsters, who are starting to diverge into two distinct groups. In one camp is a slightly older and more experienced crop who it was hoped could develop into core first-team players: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (23), Joe Willock (21), Reiss Nelson (21) and Eddie Nketiah (21). Maitland-Niles and Willock were loaned to West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United on Deadline Day, while Nelson and Nketiah stayed but have started just three league games between them this season. Nelson will have two years remaining on his contract this summer, Nketiah just one. While player development is not linear, and Arsenal insist they remain part of the future, it looks increasingly likely they will spend the prime years of their career elsewhere. The fees they would attract could help Arsenal recover some of their past losses.

What is unusual about their situation is that they have been usurped by a group of even younger players: it is difficult to imagine an Arsenal team without Bukayo Saka (19) and Emile Smith Rowe (20). Gabriel Martinelli (19) was recruited from the Brazilian fourth-division but is direct competition and has been described by Liverpool manager Jurgen Kloop as a "talent of the century". Elegant midfielder Miguel Azeez (18), with a talent from carrying the ball out of tight spaces, is due for first-team promotion next season with potential implications for Willock. It looks unlikely a contract stand-off will be resolved, but Folarin Balogun (19) is still a young Arsenal striker who could displace Nketiah should a late resolution be found.

All of which is the natural course of life at a football club: kids will fly the nest, no longer held at the bosom of the only club they have known from aged eight or nine. It should be stressed that making the grade at a club of Arsenal's stature makes all of the players mentioned immense success stories. Beneath them are a heap of talented players who not only tumble down the leagues, but in many cases out of football altogether. Some separation of wheat and chaff is inevitable: it is simply impossible for four or five Sakas to emerge at once. Even within Manchester United's Class of '92, a cosmically unlikely accumulation of homegrown talent, there were gradations. Gary and Phil Neville or Nicky Butt would feel no shame admitting they were not Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes or David Beckham.

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